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REVIEW: 'Avatar' comes close to CGI with soul

Say what you will about James Cameron crowning himself "king of the world" after "Titanic." The box-office king really rules the world of special effects, especially innovative ones that infuse an unsettling humanity into science fiction icons.

Cameron built that kingdom with the cyborg Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The Terminator" and Arnie's liquid metal nemesis in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," not to mention with the dangerously maternal alien queen in "Aliens" and the aquatic weirdness in "The Abyss." Now Cameron's back to playing with big-screen action figures in "Avatar," yet another high-concept, technological take on the human soul in an artificial construct.

Thanks to some amazing special effects and a royal budget, Cameron once again raises the bar for sf spectacle. And while the grand execution of what's meant to be a grand film doesn't quite live up to its convictions, at least these Cameron action figures bear the most soul we've ever seen in a CGI shell.

"Avatar" takes place in the year 2154 on Pandora, a verdant but dangerous moon that looks like every online fantasy wallpaper and "Magic: The Gathering" green card come to life. Pandora teems with fierce, multi-limb beasties and iridescent fauna. It also houses a precious mineral key to solving the energy crisis back on Earth.

That precious mineral is most abundant beneath the stumping grounds of the Na'vi, a lithe blue alien race that favors every Native American cinematic trope you can think of, from scanty clothing and bows and arrows to a spiritual connection to the hunt and surrounding environment.

Mankind's powers that be want that special mineral so bad they're willing to wipe out the Na'vi to get it. But before it comes to that (which you know it will) they're willing to at least work with the Na'vi by way of the Avatar Program. The program was designed so humans could mentally operate genetically-developed Na'vi avatars to blend in with the natives and win their trust. Like trusting them enough to scoot off that mineral mother load.

Enter Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. His late twin brother was part of the Avatar Program, so the powers that be figure Jake can step into his brother's shoes considering their genetic similarities. (The genetically-developed Na'vi bodies are fused with the DNA of the humans that will operate them.) Grace (Sigourney Weaver), the head scientist of the Avatar Program, hates the idea of a hawk involved in what's meant to be a dove operation, but she has little choice because corporate interests have the final say.

Ah, but Jake's a noble soul. So while the muscle-head of security Quaritch (Stephen Lang) wants Jake to play spy to help take down the Na'vi, Jake finds himself fascinated and soon enamored with the alien race, especially the tough but tender Neytiri (Zoë Saldana). Which naturally leaves Jake torn between his own human comrades acting most inhumanely and an alien race displaying the most noble aspects of humanity.

In that sense and so much more, "Avatar" really is "Dances with Wolves" in outer space — an occasionally intimate look at a man leaving his roots to become one with the natives of the land and their spiritual connection to it. Only this "Dances with Wolves" also has AMP suits, blue people and shimmery creatures thrown in.

Give Cameron credit. He could have easily made "Avatar" a lot preachier than it sounds. Instead he taps more into his "Terminator 2" and "Aliens" sensibilities. That is, tons of CGI-riddled action and military might with that underlying message of basic humanity (in this case in blue skin) clawing its way through all the on-screen and behind-the-scenes hardware.

"Avatar" is entertaining enough and mostly works because of its mighty running time and mighty special effects. You probably need two-and-a-half-plus hours to create surprisingly meaningful connections between characters. And the 3D looks quite gorgeous when it opens a window to the creatures and crafts on Pandora. Also, the Na'vi is a technological triumph. They look amazingly real, from their natural facial movements to their fluid motions. You almost forget you're looking at the next generation of CGI wizardry. Almost.

But "Avatar's" strengths are also its weaknesses. The same 3D that wows us also warps our vision a bit when it comes to Na'vi subtitles and shots cluttered with too many on-screen devices and consoles. And the high-tech spectacle also occasionally takes you out of the very story, the very message it's trying to espouse. You sometimes forget there's actually something going on with all the imagery, which may also explain why so many of the minor characters are more like caricatures to remind you there's a simple narrative that ties all the amazing scenery together. At least none of the actors, be they flesh-colored or blue-skinned, chew it up.

Just as well you can credit all that to the Na'vi, Cameron's amazing special effects action figures. These Cameron creations quite literally embody "Avatar" in all its spectacle and ambition. Like its star alien race, "Avatar" is curious, imaginary, quasi-spiritual and almost believable.

I don't know if I am going to see it. The story looks utterly predictable. I'm not sure if anything is shocking anymore, but the exchange you see in the trailer didn't strike me as anything more than a popcorn flick.